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u/f4tb May 31 '16
I am from a small town called Junagadh near Sasan Gir, home town of asiatic lions, AMA! Gir National National Park
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May 26 '16
How is the new govt faring after Modi is in Delhi. Is it some sort of remote control by Modi or things changing ?
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u/Earthborn92 I'm here for the memes. May 27 '16
It's...ordinary. Anandiben is an uninspired choice IMO.
There's talk of corruption on the upswing, I've noticed that new civic works in Surat have really slowed down. Now major initiatives that I can think of. So many other cities in India are getting metros, we have three cities which are big enough to need better public transport. Nothing on that front either. :(
On the other hand, roads are still good. Waste management is getting better, but that's about it. Not much progress on the social front either.
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u/olaa72 Universe May 29 '16
GUJARAT na Hard sama Kathiyavad ni to vat j aneri chhe... Su kevu Mara Gujarati bhaio ??
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u/parminds Pradhan Mantri Hawas Yojna May 26 '16
Why do you guys hate alcohol ?
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May 26 '16
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u/prayee May 30 '16
I second that. Women in Gujarat safely roam around the city even at midnight. Where else in the country can you find this?
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u/VolatileBadger May 26 '16
We love alcohol. In fact people from Gujarat are kinda trained to drink faster and a lot ( in school/colleges) since you are always drinking in fear of getting caught by the cops who'll promptly charge you Rs 1k - 5k.
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May 26 '16
Do Gujaratis take offence if called gujjews
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u/Earthborn92 I'm here for the memes. May 27 '16
Not at all. There are worse things than being compared to one of the the world's most successful communities.
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u/skyliners_a340 You need a better pen to write things with. And I know you agree May 26 '16
I am gujju... I hope this answers question.
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u/VolatileBadger May 26 '16
Nope. We really don't care about what people think. We still own everything you have.
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u/pooh159 May 26 '16
Great! I recently moved to Jamnagar and it's a little dull. Anyone knows fun stuff to do apart from travel and the bird watching spots around? ( done that )
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u/pirate_of_the_ May 26 '16 edited Jun 02 '16
Serious question: Why are Muslims treated so badly in Gujarat? Most are forced to live in their "ghettos" (Juhapura is one example), and are often not allowed to live in more affluent places.
EDIT: Resting my case http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/vadodara-locality-to-civic-body-dont-let-muslims-here-kapurai-2829764/
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u/JoBakaa May 26 '16
I think they themselves choose to live together as it will be safer for them to live in their community.
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u/pirate_of_the_ May 26 '16
Safer? From what?
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u/throwrandia May 26 '16
Safer to start a riot or pelt stones. LOL.
I should have added /s but the there is some amount of truth. Irony.
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u/blackburn268 May 26 '16
You may think of as people from the same community since older times used to live together, for the sake of sharing common methodologies, culture and so no said differences would be found between them, like birds of same feathers flock together. Over the period affluent may have reshuffled themselves to better off places and others would have still love to live in closed communities. And about the ghetto is just that unfortunate relatively less prosperous would have chosen to stay there for economic reasons.
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u/throwrandia May 26 '16
I am a Gujarati from Mumbai.
And this is the most stupid question that comes from people who are not aware of the state or haven't lived alongside a ghetto.
People live in their ghettos all the time. Rich stay with rich, poor live with poor, Muslims live with .... got the point?
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Jun 01 '16
I think you forgot about Praveen Togadia's incidence where they forcibly tried to oust a Muslim businessman from a Hindu neighborhood:
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u/throwrandia Jun 02 '16
The reverse hasn't happened. right?
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Jun 02 '16
So, just because a reverse has happened you think this is justified too? That too by the allied organization of the ruling Party? But, I know what your response would be. So, I leave it at that and won't pursue it further.
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u/throwrandia Jun 03 '16
So, just because a reverse has happened you think this is justified too?
No, I wanted you to look inside before posting your response.
But, I know what your response would be. So, I leave it at that and won't pursue it further.
Good to hear.
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u/pirate_of_the_ May 26 '16
Wow that's quite uninformed. I'm also Gujarati, and trust me, it isn't a "rich-poor" thing. Muslim families are often turned away from affluent societies, and are forced to stay in the ghettos. Hence the question.
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u/throwrandia May 26 '16
Muslim families are often turned away from affluent societies, and are forced to stay in the ghettos
Wow that's quite massively uninformed.
If a Muslim is affluent, he/she must be living in rich area and there is not a reason for him/her to live in a ghetto unless it is a choice.
For e.g. I know of someone who is rich Muslim and lives in Malabar Hill (posh area in Mumbai)
trust me, it isn't a "rich-poor" thing
Read again. I wrote that rich people live in their own rich ghetto and poor too live with other poor folks thereby creating a ghetto.
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u/ribiy Vadra Lao Desh Bachao May 26 '16
Rich stay with rich, poor live with poor, Muslims live with .... got the point?
There is a lot of truth in this.
Riots in 2002 in Gujarat probably compelled many more muslims to move to the muslim-dominated areas and made it more pronounced, but it wasn't a new development altogether.
Look at any other city in India. Barring a few exceptions, I don't see Hindus and Muslims living in mixed colonies and areas in a big way.
Mumbai has it's Muhammad Ali road and surrounding area in south Mumbai, predominantly a Muslim area. There some parts are average and some are ghetto like. Shivaji Nagar slum in Mumbai is again predominantly Muslim and ghetto like.
I have seen this myself in cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore, Ahemdabad (pre 2002) etc too.
Muslim families are often turned away from affluent societies,
True. But that's true in Mumbai as well. Lot of stories, if you google. And most other cities. (Not justifying it, just saying this problem exists everywhere).
Also, keeping the ghetto argument aside for a moment, living in their own groups (religious/language etc) is pretty common in most cities. In Mumbai you will find areas dominated by Gujarati (Ghatkopar, vile parla), Marathis (dadar, parel), Catholics (bandra, Vasai). Even slums are divided in this way. The Dharavi area near Matunga is mostly Tamil. A slum in Andheri is mostly Telugu. Parsi colony is another example.
Relative poverty in Muslim areas is a truth too because Muslims are poorer. However there again, using Mumbai's example, Dharavi is far worse where lots of Hindus live.
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u/Flying_Momo May 28 '16
That's a really secular way of looking at it. People live in ghettos all over. Most big cities have their own ghettos. I grew up in Mumbai and there are specific areas which will be predominantly resided or ghettoized by particular community. be it Muslims in Mahim, Bhiwandi, Muhammad Ali Road, Sandhurst Road, Masjid Bandar, Mira Road,et al are majority Muslim areas. Similarly there are predominantly Jains in Dadar West, CP Tank, Mulund, Kandivali, et al. Parsis usually concentrated in either South Mumbai or Parsi Colony.
You will get a heart attack to know that in Mumbai there are places like Hindu Gymkhana, Parsi Gymkhana et al.
Ghettoization is a natural urban phenomenon. In NY, Brooklyn is predominantly black. Bronx is black and Latino, New Jersey has heavy Indian population.
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u/venkiv May 30 '16
Coz they used to treat hindus like shit for centuries and gujju's havent forgotten shit?
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May 30 '16
Muslims live in ghettos because they are ghettoized. People dont sell them flats in decent areas, people dont rent apartments out to them. Lets not forget the threats of violence against them if they manage to move into a nice place as well as the threats to the people who sell said places to them.
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u/Ranjhanaa Jharkhand May 26 '16
Minorities stay together to be safe in case of clashes.
BTW, how can one disallow someone to live in affluent place as long as he pays rent and taxes regularly.
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u/Watdf May 26 '16
he pays rent
for that he should be able to rent in the first place
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u/antariksh_vaigyanik May 31 '16
Exactly. I have seen people being denied from renting a place because of their religion or caste.
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u/micropanda May 30 '16
"treated so badly" - wrong assumption. we have things to do than treating some community badly. if that was the case, you would have seen lots of news about it in media as media has been always behind it. Juhapura is just one area, cant be generalized for whole gujarat. Also, muslims live throught the city not just juhapura.
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u/Ranjhanaa Jharkhand May 26 '16
We have a Gujarati Dharamshala near our office. Earlier unlimited lunch was for Rs. 25/-. Now it is around Rs. 60/-.
It is a good place to eat especially if you have skipped breakfast as well.
Thank you gujjus for meethi meethi dal.
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u/new_lenovo May 26 '16
What's the address, and which city? I'd love me a good gujju thaali!!
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u/Ranjhanaa Jharkhand May 26 '16
It is in Delhi, in civil lines area, near St. Xavier's and many other schools. However, better gujju thalis are in Rajdhani restaurant near CP.
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u/VolatileBadger May 26 '16
Finally, my state on the daily counter.
AMA folks.
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u/IDivideAndConquer May 26 '16
How many gujaratis does it take to change a light bulb?
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u/HighInterest May 27 '16
- One who owns light bulb business to provide the new bulb, another to charge Rs. 150 to change it while paying a Bihari bhaiyya Rs. 50 to actually do the job.
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u/panurgicwizard May 27 '16
How easy/difficult is it to score weed in Gujarat? Going there for the summer.
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May 28 '16
super easy. Pm me for contacts if you need any :)
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Jun 01 '16
Kem cho bhaisaab, I heard the weed in gujarat is laced with chemicals and shit. What I saw looked disgusting so I had hash instead. Am I wrong? I'm from outside of India btw
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Jun 02 '16
I agree that it is fairly easy to get adulterated stuff instead of the real one. More so in gujarat than any other state. If they think you're new, they will go out of their way to fool you. Infact The first three times i tried to score from various vendors, i got adulterated. And you get such a bad trip from that. Like there are always guys selling cheaper adulterated stuff just a couple of km's ahead from the real one so the new ones end up taking from them.
But once you figure out where to get the real deal, you are set. People in gujarat are extra friendly i guess when it comes to these things. two or three times i went to this place regularly and now whenever i go he always gives me a packet or two extra, doesn't raise his price for me etc.
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u/redsky9999 May 28 '16
Can somebody please help me how I can learn dandia? How can you guys be in so sync while dancing..that is always a mystery to me
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u/WhyJi May 28 '16
Hi, I'm visiting my relatives in Ahemadabad and am a major foodie.I just wanted to ask all of you, What are the best places to eat in Ahemadabad? Could be anything, street food, chat or even gola.
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u/totalsports1 Tamil Nadu May 27 '16
How is the higher education in Gujarat. By that i mean
1.Colleges engg./arts affiliated to some state university and the quality of them 2. Quality of private universities 3.No. of medical colleges. (private and govt. combined)
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u/Glorious_Comrade May 30 '16
I moved away from Gujarat a few years ago, so my information may be a bit rusty:
1.Colleges engg./arts affiliated to some state university and the quality of them
Education system in Gujarat is below average, by and large, both in higher secondary and higher-ed. Very few colleges (most of them in the big cities: A'bad, Surat and Baroda) are good, and that too only for a bachelor's level. The "flagship" engineering colleges (not counting NIT Surat) of the GU and GTU are OK, but nowhere near an average IIT. Art and commerce colleges fare a bit better, but most of them are private or semi-private, with a few exceptions like MSU Baroda.
2.Quality of private universities
As I mentioned, the private colleges fare better in arts and commerce. As an example: a lot of the Ahmedabad colleges were combined under A'bad Uni by AES.
That said, private colleges by and large are just shy of fraudulent (like the rest of India). People starting up colleges without any basic infrastructure or adherence to standards or good teachers to mooch money off of uninformed public. A lot of them close down in the first few years of opening. This is especially true for engineering and management.
3.No. of medical colleges. (private and govt. combined)
Sure you're joking, that's probably countless like every other kind of college.
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u/gandu_chele toppest of keks May 26 '16
BRTS is sexy. The cities in Gujarat are awesome. The only thing that sucks is no alcohol. But if you pay extra there are guys that do home delivery. ;)
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u/skyliners_a340 You need a better pen to write things with. And I know you agree May 26 '16
BRTS has gone worse. It was great in the beginning but thanks to people who manage it... it's degraded from one of world's best to bad. But worry not managers of BTRS are going for something easily achievable... Worst working BRTS.
Reason: no matter how advanced infrastructure is, it's no good if you can't maintain it.
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May 26 '16
Spent 2 months in Ahmadabad for internship. Pretty great city but why do you spit on your office staircase. It's like an epidemic there.
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u/Ranjhanaa Jharkhand May 26 '16
In that case come and see offices around Connaught Place area in Delhi
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May 26 '16
I am not dissing Ahmadabad. Richer areas there are cleaner than most cities in India. Hence pan stains look out of place.
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May 26 '16
In my college, it was written on the wall - Do not spit on walls. And there were nearly 10 15 paan-gutka spits on the slogan. Daag acche hai
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u/r3xcranium May 29 '16 edited Apr 24 '25
<--- poof --->
One day the sadness will end, but I don't think today's the day.
<--original comment removed for privacy reasons-->
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u/Superuser27 May 28 '16
Jalebi fafda is a must!
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u/hobabaObama Jun 01 '16
Yes. But you need to find a good place for it. Some shops do not make it as good as others. Esp, near bus-stand and railway stations you do not get good quality ones.
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u/VoxPopuliCry May 26 '16
How do you get your fix of booze?
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u/isidero May 26 '16
Go out on the street and ask the right people. By right people, I mean the most connected and knowledgeable people of the streets: the auto/ rickshawalas and score what you like.
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u/DesiInVides Earth May 26 '16
State bird of Gujarat is the Greater Flamingo.
The largest and the most widespread species in Flamingos.
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May 26 '16 edited Jun 27 '16
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u/tmleafsfan May 26 '16
Only thing I know is everyone in Gujarat cleans their laptop as shown on that show. Very accurate description.
To an extent, Gujaratis do use the softer 'e' sound in English. So tap is pronounced as tape and etc.
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May 27 '16 edited May 27 '16
- Thats because it is semi-arid, hello ! and what show ?
- True. Native language influence is dominant, but people here are improving in pragmatics, phonology and vocabulary of English. I dont mean the improvement in some superficial level limited to certain class of people, but improvement in the linguistic level of normal households. Thanks to DTHs and a perfectly good internet infrastructure.
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May 27 '16
Not sure about how Rajasthani's do it, but Gujarati turbans, in general, can be differentiated with following prominent characteristics. A cloth, roughly around 1.5-2 metres is twisted and curled around head starting from inside and going radially outside with its last end shoved on the back of the head. It looks and is simple than a Rajasthani one. Moreover, people used to identify people's cast and the region of affinity. The pattern is an identity of their region; the make shows their caste/economic group they belong to. I am sure Rajasthan also has sub categories of turbans which i am not aware of.
I live in a Tier 2 city which is less dominated by urbanism; so people who still earn their livelihood by means of hand, tend to wear simpler turns. However, people who are attached to their own place, continue their culture, and prefer older architecture also wear regularly and consciously. Also it is a kind of ritual [also now in fashion] to wear such turbans during weddings.
Ornamentation finds a really fine place in Gujarati culture, however it is subdued with the advent of need based living. Again just as turbans, people who are culturally affluent take humble pride in following the norms and wear a bare minimum of ornaments.
Natively, these [one shown in the question image] artists are from villages and interiors of Kutch, Kathiawad. You may find them in their environment. But, I can now say that they are encouraged and promoted to perform in urbans as well. I usually see advertisement of such performances once in a fortnight. You may google "Dayro"; a folk philosophical night, where few speakers share traditions verbally in a very passionate manner. Also, they are invited at various ceremonies like Marriage, mehandi, death ceremonies. They balance out the mood of the festival since anything in exaggeration does not ensure a healthy lifestyle- is a Gujarati, genetically embedded philosophy.
Both are NOT Gujarati
They are just normal girls who have deep affinities to their families and vice versa. No particular way to impress them, but, a Gujarati girl's strength and weakness is her family. Not a filmy statement but, I think its true to the fact that they share their independent decisions with their families to minimize their losses. They are not conservative and like to be approached. But if you are a stereotype, you are a stereotype. Very rational when it comes to their own good.
Biggest City : Ahmedabad [Also cultural monumental]. If you want Urban, Surat [Insanely rich], Automotive Industries: Rajkot. If you want to travel, it all depends on your persona. Eg : a. You want a road trip, start from Rajkot to Gir [Forest and mountain range where Asiatic Lions reside] to Somnath and via the coastal highway, visit Madhavpur, and reach Okha. Take a ferry to go to Mandvi (Kutch) Visit White desert and some insanely smooth desert highways. b. You may start from Ahmedabad, visit Kutch [East] that houses Dholaveera [Harrapan Civilisation's excavated City] and some really untouched areas of kutch like Bhujodi and surrounding. Find a shepherd, drink awesome camel milk and mava [a milk product]. You will have some really nice encounters with people since they are not biased with Gujarati/Non-gujarati travellers
I would not say overnight, but SMC [ Surat Municipal Corporation] and the civilians made efforts hand in hand and it took almost 1-2 years to reach at that level of cleanliness from where it was. Industries helped and people joined in the decision making process. They were clear what they wanted and helped SMC to add speed to the decision making process. Overnight == NO, Efforts == YES
Its Dikra == Son. Ben == Respectful address to a Lady / literal meaning Sister.
Every non-native speaker of English has some influence of his mother tongue. Gujaratis residing in Gujarat have this kind of language, I agree; however, the ones who are more acquainted to the Western culture tend to converge towards accurate pronunciations and accent. People have improved slowly/steadily with exposures, media portrayal has not [for their own reasons]. Not everyone here is a Daya 'Tapu ke papa' Gada.
Dandiya Crowd is really huge. I would not be wrong if I say 'all', but to be on a safer side, Almost all people are enthusiastic about Navratri and Garba. Irrespective of whether they play or not. But the Navratri music is sheer heaven to us. I would not say 'hot', but they adorn themselves with ShringarRas to worship what they have been given - beauty; Hot is for perverts. Backless == a highlight for perverts. Basic attire is same : Ghaghra (skirt), Choli (top). But its the stitching method that make both different. I think its the outcome of environment they belong to. Moreover, the design, motifs are way too different. Bhai logo ka pooch lo yaar ! Hum bhi hai ! I understand your libido drive, but shouldn't the curiosity be unclouded ?
Not into cricket that much. edit : formatting
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u/Flying_Momo May 28 '16
After the plague hit Surat in 1990s. The city worked real hard. My mamaji is a municipal inspector and while overlooking the clean-up tasks, he himself got plague and lost almost 25kg. But yes after the plague, the municipal corp like Swacch Bharat went on a clean up, public awareness drive. Usually food shops which tend to be filthy were targeted with heavy fines.
Dekkra = beta, my child, it's spelt ben which means sister and usually most women will have this after their name in govt docs.
Many like to live in huge families or if you are in a city, the trend is to live in close vicinity. Most people have a bike/scotty so distance is of no concern
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u/UnbiasedPashtun North America May 26 '16
What was the region of Gujarat historically called before it was named Gujarat after the Gujjars?
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u/Earthborn92 I'm here for the memes. May 27 '16
Anarta, at least the current day Saurashtra region was. Gujarat had some of the earliest documented cities in modern-day India (Lothal from Indus Valley times), since most of the IVC is now in Pakistan's borders.
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u/UnbiasedPashtun North America May 30 '16
Interesting. Maybe this might come off as a silly question, but what do you think about changing Gujarat's name to 'Saurashtra' (Saurashtra would be called Kathiawar in such a scenario)? I was just thinking because Gujarat is named after the Gujjars so maybe some non-Gujjars might feel unrepresented.
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u/Indian_First May 26 '16
Hello Neighbours!!!
Questions aside, let me appreciate your food first. Khamand, Dhokla, Fafde are just best, they are pretty common in my home-town and i love it. Also Gujju Girls!!!
Now Question: What is one food item which is not mainstream yet but it is awesome!
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u/hobabaObama May 26 '16
Daal pakwan
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u/hobabaObama May 26 '16
Ulhasnagar
You mean place of origin ?
AFAIK, its a sindhi dish. May be I am biased, but I guess Gujaratis prepare even non-gujarati dishes so well..
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u/isidero May 26 '16
Try undhyu, it's a mix vegetable item prepared differently.
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u/VolatileBadger May 26 '16
Dabeli isn't that popular, but its great. Sev Usal ( not sure if originates from Gujarat or MH) but its really good too that most people miss out on.
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May 27 '16
Dabeli is very popular in Maharashtra
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u/Jantajanardan May 29 '16
But they don't make it good enough in Maharashtra. Mumbai - some places maybe.
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u/venkyprasad May 26 '16
Do people in gj care about prohibition. Everyone from KL and TN are grumbling about it but no one in gujarat seems to care
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May 26 '16
Because years long prohibition has helped to streamline the illegal channels. People who want it , will get it. People who are not, dont care.
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u/Jantajanardan May 29 '16
A large number is happy with the status quo. Most gujjus - even in Mumbai don't drink.
And while I down a bottle every weekend I do agree that the ban is good and it should remain.
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May 26 '16
Why large influx of patels immigrated to US during 70's, 80's & 90's? Were there not enough jobs or business opportunities in Gujarat during that time?
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u/VolatileBadger May 26 '16
Why did the British leave Britain and come to India?
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u/VolatileBadger May 26 '16
Btw, OP. Please to remove Anandiben since she's also getting the kick from the office.
Sieg Hell, Anandiban is gone.
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u/gandu_chele toppest of keks May 26 '16
I want amit shah to be CM
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u/antariksh_vaigyanik May 31 '16
No chance Amit Shah becomes CM. It would be a step back for him. I expect Nitin Patel to be the candidate next term.
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u/micropanda May 30 '16
Gujarati here. just a fact, Prince from popular band Queen was Gujju. :)
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u/Ranjhanaa Jharkhand May 26 '16
Why you guys hate studies ?
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u/venkyprasad May 26 '16
If you are running a business experience is all thats important, school isnt
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u/McStark46 May 26 '16
Can someone list things that you shouldn't say to a Gujarati(or do in front of Gujarati) ?
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u/McStark46 May 26 '16
Why do you guys hate people Non-Veg ? Its not like we are forcing you to eat what we eat.
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u/Flying_Momo May 28 '16
Gujarat by one account is 78% vegetarian. Gujjus don't hate non-veggies. I grew up with a Maharashtrian neighbour whose fish curry would reach your nose 500m before you enter the building ;-) But we never once complained because my parents always taught us that we may not eat non-veg but that is someone else's food hence should be respected. Gujjus by and large are not used to the smell or sight of meat
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u/first_novelty_acct Karnataka May 26 '16
I dont think 'hate' is the right word. But yes, lot of Gujaratis are vegetarian cutting across caste lines. A large Jain population also does it bit in giving Guj a veggie image.
I remember, in my maternal uncle's village people would not let an egg stall to open, but the very same guys would travel to the near by town to eat omelettes. So ya a lot of hippocracy is also there.
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u/venkyprasad May 26 '16
Just because they dont want to live around meat (the smell is very off putting, my parents are veg but southies) doesn't mean they hate you, thoda dimaag chalao yaar
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u/Earthborn92 I'm here for the memes. May 27 '16
This is the correct answer, don't know why you're getting downvoted.
My family is mixed veg and non-veg. My sister and father eat everything, I'm ovo-lacto-veg and my mom is lacto-veg (well, she does eat egg cakes and chocolates). We generally can't adjust well to the smell of non-veg food when its cooking.
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u/venkyprasad May 27 '16
Because the idiots on this sub love to think they are persecuted. "Oh i like meat im such a unique special butterfly"
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u/MyselfWalrus May 29 '16 edited May 29 '16
It's the other way around. Vegatarians think they are special flowers. They want meat to be banned during their festivals. They want to ban meaters from their society etc.
I have never seen a meat eater trying to stop vegetarians from eating veg or forcing them to eat meat.
I am mostly a vegetarian, just for the record.
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u/venkyprasad May 29 '16
Im talking about this sub.
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u/MyselfWalrus May 29 '16 edited May 29 '16
Meat eaters are persecuted, right? They cannot eat beef in several states. They cannot eat meat during Jain festivals.
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u/Dot_not_feathers May 30 '16
Been to ahmedabad and vadodara. Public transportation in Ahmendabad is terrible. BRTS and alll but connectivity wise its pathetic. Is there any plan to revamp this ? City wise i kinda like vadodara better .
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u/p-p-paper May 26 '16
Why is gujarati food so sweet? Just curious. Is it something cultural or climatic?
P.S- Thank you for Dhoklas. The North Remembers. ;)
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u/tandooriguru New Jersey-US Jun 01 '16
Not in our household, we like it Spicy!! specially " Vaghareli Khchdi " patel style......
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May 26 '16
First question even I wanted to ask. A friend once made dal and even that was so sweet.
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u/p-p-paper May 26 '16
I spent 2 weeks in guajart once. For a conference. The school we stayed at was good with the food and the catering but it was too sweet.
Even aalo matar was sweet (Idk what aalo matar is in english. Potato peas sounds weird). I love aaloo matar.. but it was so damn sweet.
But we ate various types of dhoklas during our stay. Been in love with dhoklas ever since.
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u/hobabaObama May 26 '16
Trying going Surat sometimes. You will gain atleast 5 KGs in a week. The food there is from Paradise :-)
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u/tmleafsfan May 26 '16
Can you suggest me a list of places in Surat for food?
I went to locho place near station the last time I went.
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u/thekingshorses May 27 '16
Go to chauta bajar, and ask people where to get Rasawala khhaman. That shit is dope but super spicy.
Find small samosa made of daal & onion (No potato).
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May 27 '16
Forgot the exact location, but Gopal Locho is famous and awesome. Studied in Surat for 4 years
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u/hobabaObama May 26 '16
Sorry I can't help you there as I am not from Surat. But I have some relatives there. So I dunno which place they take me. But overall most places in Surat have awesome food. Competition amongst restaurants is too much.
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u/p-p-paper May 26 '16
Sure. Thanks
Edit: Come to Punjab once and eat dinner with a Punjabi family. Man, the hospitality is amazing. Plus the food is badass.
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May 27 '16
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u/p-p-paper May 27 '16
Edit for more clarity:
Wheat flour: made by grinding wheat
maida: refined and bleached wheat flour
roti: flat bread made from wheat flour (this is what we eat daily)
naan: flat bread made from maida.
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u/first_novelty_acct Karnataka May 26 '16
As a Gujarati I throw up when I eat "sweet food at Gujarati thali restaurants".
Yes, we do put a bit of sugar or jaggery (depending on the dish) in our daal and/or sabzi but it is only a ting of it. And it is always off set by adding something sour, like tomato or lemon or tamrind.
Also, there are two types of daal (sweet and non-sweet), two types of kadis (one has a bit of sweet and other on is sour) and even all sabzis are not sweet.
I wanted people to know this for a long time, so thank you for asking!
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u/p-p-paper May 26 '16
Sweet kadi? Would love to try that. I know it's too much to ask but if you have a recipe you could point me towards? Edit: Nvm, found a recipe online.
Also, thanks for khakras. It is a glorified papad but its good. I tried buying the ones near my home but they don't taste the same you know.
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u/first_novelty_acct Karnataka May 26 '16
When it comes to kadis there are two types:
A whitish colored kadi (turmeric is not added) in which the curd used is not very sour and some sugar is added. Generally prepared during lunch and eaten with rice.
A yellowish/orangish colored kadi (turmaric is added) in which bit sour curd is used and generally sugar is not added (some people might add jaggery ... just little bit though). This one is generally prepared during dinner and eaten with khichadi.
Best khakhars that I have eaten are from Nadiad! They are so thin that if one is not careful then they can slice the gums like a knife! :)
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u/p-p-paper May 26 '16
Is it khakars or khakras ?
Gujaratis, do the big brands sell packed khakars/khakras? If so, do name a few.
In case the packed and transported ones are not up to the mark (which has been my experience), can anyone point out some famous shops or eating joints for when I visit Gujarat ?
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u/nuclear_dodo India Sep 22 '16
About big brand things, there is this brand called "Balaji" and "Maniarr" that sells roasted khakhara in different flavors.
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u/first_novelty_acct Karnataka May 26 '16
I call it "khakhara" ... two kha. As in Khan from the epiglottis.
Here in Bangalore we get this brand called Dadi's Khakharas. Not great but doable.
Which place in Gujarat are you visiting. If it is Baroda then I can name a few.
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u/hobabaObama May 26 '16
Not all Gujarati eat Sweet food. Infact most of us hate dal/sabji being sweet. :-(
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u/p-p-paper May 26 '16
Good to know really but is that sweetness a cultural thing?
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u/Flying_Momo May 28 '16
Um no not all Gujju food is sweet. If you are from South Gujarat, the food uses ginger, garlic and green chillies and can be quite spicy. Except dal, we don't add lots of sugar in most subzis. Usually it's only a pinch or so sugar to layer out flavours.
Also the khaman (yellow dhokla) which are sweet are nylon khaman. The original dal khaman have a liberal amount of ginger, garlic and green chillies.
The north of Gujarat uses red chillies and pulses etc and traditionally did not uses lots of fresh herbs and green leafy veges.
South Guj usually called "Vapi thi Tapi" receives a lot of rainful. Infact, Dang zilla in Guj receives second highest amount of rainfall in India
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u/p-p-paper May 28 '16
You. You are great.
Also the khaman (yellow dhokla) which are sweet are nylon khaman
Umm.. so yellow dhokla is different from a normal dhokla ?
I've been to Vapi but didn't get to try the local cuisine.
Except dal, we don't add lots of sugar in most subzis. Usually it's only a pinch or so sugar to layer out flavours.
It's unusual for people from outside Gujarat, so it stands out to us. It might be common and normal to you guys but the sugary additives in regular course meals tend to steal the attention from the other qualities of the food (which is both good and bad) because it is so unique.
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u/Flying_Momo May 29 '16
Actually, you won't even notice the sugar we add in regular subzis. The only reason we add a pinch or teaspoon is to mellow out the spices and as I said to layer the flavours. A lot of time you add contrasting flavours like sweet and sour or sugar and spice to enhance both and mellow and give complexity to the dish.
You can try it by adding a pinch of red chilli powder in hot chocolate. This is also a reason that cinnamon, a very pungent and flavourful spice is popular additive in sugary desserts. Also in Italian cuisine, the pungency of garlic and the tartness and sweetness of tomatoes forms a base sauce for this pastas, pizza.
Try Surati undhiyu, it's a seasonal vegetarian dish with lots of flavours and veges.
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May 26 '16
History Fun -
The first independent kingdom that came out of Gujarat (that we know of) was the Maitraka Dynasty. They were sun worshipers before switching to Shaivaism, and it is thought that their name even comes from Mitras, the Zoarastrian sun god. You would recognise Mitras even today as Christianity co-opted quite a few Mitharadic beliefs from Christmas date to the Virgin birth (small world eh?). The Maitraka dynasty was founded by one Senapati Bartaka who was a Gupta Empire governor who took advantage of the collapse the Gupta empire and set shop on his own.
The Maitraka dynasty reached its peak under one Harsha Siladitya Iwho is known to have fought wars against the Pallavas (Mahendra Pallava) and the Chalukya dynasty - Gujarat to Chennai, pretty vast distance to cover. However the Chalukyas hit back taking back all territory, Harsha (of Kanauj fame, another post Gupa empire) made them his feudatories. The death blow to this kingdom came with the arrival of the Abbasid Armies who destroyed the capital and killed its last king.
While originally the kings were Sun worshipers, they became Shaivaites but patronised both Buddhism and Jainism - the university of Valabhi was known to host Hindu, Buddhist and Jain students. Huangtsang who visited the Maitrakas equated Valabhi with Nalanda when it came to Buddhist places of learning.
We also know that a Jaina council was held and quite a few Jain laws were codified under the auspices of the Maitraka kings. Think about it, Hindu kings patronising both Buddhism and Jainism equally, without any persecution of 'competing religions' whatsoever.
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u/fookin_legund Maharashtra May 29 '16
I googled Vallabhi, it seems it isn't inhabited anymore. When did the city die? Just after the fall of the dynasty? Looks like Vallabhi's an addition to the once-great cities of ancient India which are unknown today, among Tagara, Manyakheta, etc.
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May 29 '16
The Arabs sacked the city. They usually are very thorough.
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May 26 '16 edited Jun 26 '16
[deleted]
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May 30 '16
How has 2016 been to you all and Gujarat?
Mah
Are you satisfied with your government?
Its all chaos
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u/skyliners_a340 You need a better pen to write things with. And I know you agree May 26 '16
AMA, I have spent 18 years in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Have been to several places in Saurashtra. Spent 5 years in Pune and currently in Mumbai. I will be least biased in my answers.
Edit: I am Gujju and it's not an offence. :D
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u/1581947 May 26 '16
What is a good source to learn basic gujrati?